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HAKIKG UP THE MUSHEOOM BEDS. 
depth is attained. If it is a floor bed and there is no 
impediment, as a shelf overhead, tread the manure down 
firmly and evenly; if the manure is fairly dry and in 
good condition it will be pretty firm and still springy, 
but if it is too moist and poorly prepared treading will 
pack it together like wet rotten dung. 
Now pierce a hole in the bed and insert a thermometer. 
There are “ ground ” or “ bottom-heat ” thermometers, 
as gardeners call them, for this purpose, but any com¬ 
mon thermometer will do well enough ; and after two or 
three days examine this thermometer daily to see what 
is the temperature of the manure in the bed. In roomy 
or airy structures or where only a small bed has been 
made it may, in the meantime, be left in this condition. 
But in a tight cellar I find that the warm moisture aris¬ 
ing from the bed condenses in the atmosphere and settles 
on the top of the manure, making it perfectly wet. In 
order to counteract this, as soon as the bed is made up 
I spread some straw or hay over it loosely ; the moisture 
settles on the covering and does not reach through 10 
the manure. Beware of overcovering, as such induces 
overheating inside the bed. At spawning time remove 
this covering. The bed will then have become so cool 
(80° or 90°) that there is very little evaporation from it, 
consequently little danger of surface-wetting. 
The Proper Temperature.—This, in mushroom 
beds, depends upon the materials of which they are com¬ 
posed, their thickness, how they are built, the situation 
they are in, and other circumstances. If the manure 
was good and fresh to begin with, carefully prepared 
and used as soon as ready, the bed in a few days will 
warm up to 125°, or a little more or less, and this is 
very good. My best beds have always shown a maxi¬ 
mum heat of between 120° and 125°. Had the manure 
teen used a few days too soon the heat would rise higher, 
perhaps to . 135 °, but this is too warm; in this case I 
